When we’re not visiting youth camps across Washington, we’re doing our best to support programs a little closer to home. Jet City Improv partners with organizations that serve young people navigating complex challenges, including incarceration, addiction recovery, housing instability, and barriers to education.
These workshops provide more than just laughter. They create space for trust, vulnerability, and self-expression. Through improv, participants build vital life skills like communication, empathy, and collaboration. They also experience something many of them don’t often get: the freedom to play, take risks, and be seen for who they are, not what they’re going through.
Some programs are ongoing, others seasonal or paused, but each one reflects our deep commitment to using improv as a powerful tool for connection, confidence, and healing in communities that need it most.
These workshops provide more than just laughter. They create space for trust, vulnerability, and self-expression. Through improv, participants build vital life skills like communication, empathy, and collaboration. They also experience something many of them don’t often get: the freedom to play, take risks, and be seen for who they are, not what they’re going through.
Some programs are ongoing, others seasonal or paused, but each one reflects our deep commitment to using improv as a powerful tool for connection, confidence, and healing in communities that need it most.
🟢 Active Programs
KING COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION
Every week, a Jet City Improv teaching artist leads an improv workshop inside one of the halls at the King County Juvenile Detention Facility. These sessions offer incarcerated youth a rare opportunity for laughter, creativity, and authentic connection in an environment where those things are often in short supply.
The workshops focus on building communication, collaboration and trust, all through the accessible, low-barrier format of improv. Participants learn to express themselves, support one another, and explore emotional intelligence in real time.
Outcomes include:
Each youth receives two free tickets to Jet City Improv shows upon release, along with information about classes, volunteer opportunities, and ways to stay connected to the broader community. For many, it’s not just a workshop, it’s a first step toward something bigger.
Every week, a Jet City Improv teaching artist leads an improv workshop inside one of the halls at the King County Juvenile Detention Facility. These sessions offer incarcerated youth a rare opportunity for laughter, creativity, and authentic connection in an environment where those things are often in short supply.
The workshops focus on building communication, collaboration and trust, all through the accessible, low-barrier format of improv. Participants learn to express themselves, support one another, and explore emotional intelligence in real time.
Outcomes include:
- Increased confidence and self-awareness
- Improved communication and listening skills
- Opportunities for healthy risk-taking and emotional expression
- A temporary release from isolation, through laughter and play
- A sense of belonging and being seen as more than their circumstances
Each youth receives two free tickets to Jet City Improv shows upon release, along with information about classes, volunteer opportunities, and ways to stay connected to the broader community. For many, it’s not just a workshop, it’s a first step toward something bigger.
donate to support this program
CITY OF BELLEVUE TEEN DROP-IN IMPROV
https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/parks/community-centers/bellevue-youth-theatre/classes-camps
Jet City Improv partners with the City of Bellevue to offer a free, weekly Teen Drop-In Improv Jam for youth ages 12–19. This program provides teens with an accessible entry point into improvisation in a welcoming, low-pressure environment.
The drop-in format removes common barriers to participation such as cost, auditions, or prior experience. Teens explore improv games and scene work that emphasize listening, collaboration, creativity, and play, while building confidence and social connection.
Sessions are facilitated by trained Jet City Improv teaching artists and are designed to support teens at all experience levels, from first-time participants to those with performance backgrounds.
Outcomes include:
- Increased confidence and comfort with self-expression
- Stronger communication, listening, and teamwork skills
- Opportunities for creative play and positive risk-taking
- Connection with peers in a supportive, inclusive environment
- Access to arts programming without financial barriers
By offering a consistent, free creative space in partnership with the City of Bellevue, this program expands access to youth arts participation and helps teens build skills that support both personal growth and community connection.
donate to support this program
HUNGER INTERVENTION PROGRAM
Through its Summer Meals program, the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) provides free lunches to youth aged 18 and under at community sites across North Seattle. In addition to food security, HIP offers engaging activities that encourage connection, creativity, and fun.
Jet City Improv partners with HIP to bring free, on-site improv workshops to multiple meal and activity locations, including Bella-B Mobile Home Park, Lake City Court, Cedarvale Village, and Viv Apartments. Most participants are between 7 and 10 years old, with some younger and older youth joining in.
The sessions use playful, low-barrier improv games to promote teamwork, communication, and confidence. They also offer a joyful break in the day, where kids can take risks, share ideas, and be celebrated for their individuality.
Outcomes include:
By meeting kids where they are in their own neighborhoods, this partnership supports both nourishment of the body and enrichment of the spirit.
Through its Summer Meals program, the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) provides free lunches to youth aged 18 and under at community sites across North Seattle. In addition to food security, HIP offers engaging activities that encourage connection, creativity, and fun.
Jet City Improv partners with HIP to bring free, on-site improv workshops to multiple meal and activity locations, including Bella-B Mobile Home Park, Lake City Court, Cedarvale Village, and Viv Apartments. Most participants are between 7 and 10 years old, with some younger and older youth joining in.
The sessions use playful, low-barrier improv games to promote teamwork, communication, and confidence. They also offer a joyful break in the day, where kids can take risks, share ideas, and be celebrated for their individuality.
Outcomes include:
- Increased self-confidence and willingness to participate
- Stronger communication, listening, and collaboration skills
- Opportunities for creative risk-taking in a safe, supportive space
- A sense of belonging and positive connection with peers and mentors
- Moments of joy and play alongside meal service
By meeting kids where they are in their own neighborhoods, this partnership supports both nourishment of the body and enrichment of the spirit.
donate to support this program
🟡 Past & Seasonal Partnerships
SEA MAR CHCS RENACER YOUTH TREATMENT CENTER
Every other week, a Jet City Improv facilitator leads workshops at Renacer, a residential treatment center for adolescent boys recovering from substance use disorders. These sessions go beyond comedy. They focus on emotional growth, communication, and self-awareness through the playful, accessible framework of improv.
Participants are invited to take creative risks, collaborate with peers, and explore how empathy and expression can build stronger relationships, both in treatment and in life beyond the program.
Outcomes include:
Consistent facilitation builds trust over time, allowing participants to take ownership of their growth and rediscover their voice in a safe, supportive space.
Every other week, a Jet City Improv facilitator leads workshops at Renacer, a residential treatment center for adolescent boys recovering from substance use disorders. These sessions go beyond comedy. They focus on emotional growth, communication, and self-awareness through the playful, accessible framework of improv.
Participants are invited to take creative risks, collaborate with peers, and explore how empathy and expression can build stronger relationships, both in treatment and in life beyond the program.
Outcomes include:
- Increased confidence and healthy self-expression
- Strengthened communication and active listening skills
- Tools for navigating conflict and emotional regulation
- Practice giving and receiving support in a group setting
- A break from routine through joy, laughter, and positive engagement
Consistent facilitation builds trust over time, allowing participants to take ownership of their growth and rediscover their voice in a safe, supportive space.
SANCTUARY ART CENTER VISUAL STORYTELLING PROGRAM
Jet City Improv has partnered with the Sanctuary Art Center to offer improv workshops as part of their Visual Storytelling Program. Sanctuary serves youth ages 16 to 25 who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, providing them with access to art, mentorship, and community.
Through weekly improv workshops, participants explore identity, build confidence, and develop communication skills in a safe and supportive space. The sessions are designed to be welcoming, low-pressure, and empowering for young people with diverse lived experiences.
Outcomes include:
Improv provides an outlet for joy, vulnerability, and imagination—offering moments of play and connection that support Sanctuary’s mission of healing through creativity.
Jet City Improv has partnered with the Sanctuary Art Center to offer improv workshops as part of their Visual Storytelling Program. Sanctuary serves youth ages 16 to 25 who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, providing them with access to art, mentorship, and community.
Through weekly improv workshops, participants explore identity, build confidence, and develop communication skills in a safe and supportive space. The sessions are designed to be welcoming, low-pressure, and empowering for young people with diverse lived experiences.
Outcomes include:
- Increased self-confidence and creative self-expression
- Opportunities to build trust and connection with peers
- Strengthened collaboration and active listening skills
- A chance to play and take risks in a judgment-free setting
- Encouragement to view themselves as artists and storytellers
Improv provides an outlet for joy, vulnerability, and imagination—offering moments of play and connection that support Sanctuary’s mission of healing through creativity.
JEFFERSON COMMUNITY CENTER HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL PRESENTATION TRAINING
Jet City Improv partners with Jefferson Community Center in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood to support their high school mock trial team through coaching focused on presentation, character development, and public speaking. These sessions help students, many of whom are English language learners, build the confidence and performance skills needed to speak effectively in a competitive courtroom setting.
The workshops combine elements of theater, leadership, and communication. Students learn to embody roles, deliver persuasive arguments, and present themselves clearly and confidently in front of an audience.
Outcomes include:
This partnership helps students prepare for competition while developing skills that serve them well beyond the mock trial season.
Jet City Improv partners with Jefferson Community Center in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood to support their high school mock trial team through coaching focused on presentation, character development, and public speaking. These sessions help students, many of whom are English language learners, build the confidence and performance skills needed to speak effectively in a competitive courtroom setting.
The workshops combine elements of theater, leadership, and communication. Students learn to embody roles, deliver persuasive arguments, and present themselves clearly and confidently in front of an audience.
Outcomes include:
- Increased public speaking confidence and clarity
- Stronger storytelling and character development skills
- Support for multilingual students in navigating performance and language
- More effective courtroom delivery and presence
- Personal growth through structured, creative coaching
This partnership helps students prepare for competition while developing skills that serve them well beyond the mock trial season.
